Rams wrestling falls to Smethport

Johnsonburg's Caleb Garvey, left, wrestling in the 145-pound weight class, eyes Smethport's Jordan Johnson during action Thursday night in Paper City. Garvey scored a pin just one minute and 18 seconds into his matchup to take the win.

JOHNSONBURG – The Johnsonburg Rams won four of seven head-to-head matches Thursday night against Smethport as the visiting Hubbers took the dual meet win, 60-24.
Smethport was fueled by seven forfeit victories and three wins by falls.
The Rams however garnered some attention Thursday as they won four of the seven matches on the mat, all by fall.
"We looked very aggressive when we came out, very intense," said Johnsonburg head wrestling coach Mike Votano.
In the 138-pound bout, Johnsonburg's Cory Schneider used an early takedown to neutralize Smethport's Reuban Donovan before catching him just 33 seconds into the bout for a pin, and early 6-0 team lead.
"Cory Schneider is back from seventh grade, he's a senior now and he's really improving day by day," Votano said. "I really have my hopes up for him throughout the season and I think he'll be shocking a lot of people, and putting his name back where it used to be."
Johnsonburg's Caleb Garvey continued the intensity at 145 pounds as he pinned Smethport's Jordan Johnson with 42 seconds remaining in the first period. Garvey held a 2-0 lead after a takedown at the 1:05 mark before pinning the opposition.
"Caleb Garvey got another fall, that gives him four on the year and he has really been surprising me with the way he's been wrestling," Votano said. "[Garvey] hasn't wrestled in two years but he's looking sharp."
The Hubbers got on the board with a Luke Rittberg forfeit win at 152 pounds to cut the lead to 12-6.
At 160 pounds, Johnsonburg's Michael Kennedy scored an early takedown just 18 seconds into the match for a 2-0 lead and used offensive tactics en route to a win by fall with 41 seconds left in the first period. Kennedy's pin pushed the Rams' team lead to 18-6.
"Michael Kennedy got his second win of the year and he's been working hard in the mat room, and that's starting to have a reflection on how he's wrestling out there," Votano said.
Smethport's Garrett Hoy gave the Hubbers a boost at 170 pounds with a second period pin against Johnsonburg's Mitchell Schloder.
Hoy was up early after a takedown and scored three back points at the midway point of the first quarter for a 5-0 lead. Schloder was able to manage an escape before Hoy scored another takedown near the end of the first quarter for a 7-1 advantage.
Hoy came up with a reversal in the second period and caught Schloder for a fall with 1:19 remaining.
"[Schloder] had a pretty tough kid [Thursday night], he's been around for a while," Votano said. "Mitchell [Schloder] is improving, he just needs to pick up his intensity and wrestle a bit more physical out there, then I think his results will start to improve."
Johnsonburg's Maison Walters, a senior in his first season on the varsity wrestling team, earned his first win with a second period pin over Smethport's Quentin Evans.
Walters scored a takedown 21 seconds into the match but was hit with a 1-point penalty for a full nelson, but still had a 2-1 lead. Evans countered with a 1-point escape nine seconds later and mounted an attack with a takedown at the 1:07 mark and scored three back points 14 seconds later for a 7-2 advantage.
In the second period, Walters came to life with six back points in a 38-second span to retake the lead, 8-7; the two wrestlers traded 2-point reversals in a 5-second span to give Walters a 10-9 lead before he settled in for a pin with 25 seconds remaining.
"[Walters] comes in here every day and works hard, and his aggressiveness and physical style is there, now the technique is slowly starting to come together," Votano said. "We saw that [Thursday night] as he hit move after move, and that was a very nice win for him."
With a 24-12 Johnsonburg lead, the Hubbers answered right back at 195 pounds as Tyler Miketish scored a fall over Johnsonburg's Dylan DeLong at the 1:25 mark of the first period.
DeLong was down early after a takedown and was unable to recover before being pinned.
"This is [DeLong's] first official match of the year as he came out a little late but he certainly has the natural wrestling talent," Votano said. "He'll have to add technique to it but he's a strong kid. As the season goes on and his technique improves, I think he'll start pulling off some wins for us as well."
The win cut the Rams' lead to 24-18 before six straight forfeits gave the Hubbers a 54-24 lead. Forfeit wins for Smethport were Tyler Buchholz at 220 pounds, Shawn Prentiss at 285 pounds, Ryan Nielson at 106 pounds, Trent Neely at 113 pounds, Marcus Spittler at 120 pounds, and Justin Burgess at 126 pounds.
The Hubbers capped off the run by spoiling Alex Zimmerman's 6-0 start as Nate Schwab earned a fall in the second period.
Zimmerman went down early after a takedown and three back points. A late reversal put Zimmerman on the board but Schwab answered right back before the first period buzzer for an early 7-2 advantage. An early Zimmerman reversal put him within striking distance down 7-5 but Schwab had an answer a minute late before scoring a late fall with 22 seconds on the clock.
"Alex Zimmerman came up against probably Smethport's best wrestler, but he held on with him the whole match," Votano said. "[Zimmerman] made a mistake there and got caught on his back, that was his first loss of the year but he's one of the hardest workers on this team.
"I know he'll remind nicely and come back, and he'll improve because he's a hard worker who always wants to get better."
Despite the team loss, Votano said going into the holiday break that he is pleased with his corp of wrestlers thus far.
"It's hard to gauge where we'd be because we all weren't sure what to expect since we have a lot of new faces," Votano said. "Our coaching staff is pleased with the progression and we think it will continue to build. These guys come in and work hard every day, and I think as the season continues we're going to shock some teams.
"We probably aren't going to win a whole lot of dual matches as a team, but head-to-head with our opponents, I think we'll win some matches head-to-head."
Votano also tipped his hat to his dedicated coaching staff.
"I give a lot of credit to this coaching staff as we have a great bunch of coaches who are working hard, and that is reflecting onto our wrestlers," Votano said.
The coaching staff is comprised of Votano, assistant coach Beau Iorfido, Matt Penn, Bart Nelson, Eric Iorfido and Judd Zilcosky.
"Those guys have been a great help," Votano said.JOHNSONBURG – The Johnsonburg Rams won four of seven head-to-head matches Thursday night against Smethport as the visiting Hubbers took the dual meet win, 60-24.
Smethport was fueled by seven forfeit victories and three wins by falls.
The Rams however garnered some attention Thursday as they won four of the seven matches on the mat, all by fall.
"We looked very aggressive when we came out, very intense," said Johnsonburg head wrestling coach Mike Votano.
In the 138-pound bout, Johnsonburg's Cory Schneider used an early takedown to neutralize Smethport's Reuban Donovan before catching him just 33 seconds into the bout for a pin, and early 6-0 team lead.
"Cory Schneider is back from seventh grade, he's a senior now and he's really improving day by day," Votano said. "I really have my hopes up for him throughout the season and I think he'll be shocking a lot of people, and putting his name back where it used to be."
Johnsonburg's Caleb Garvey continued the intensity at 145 pounds as he pinned Smethport's Jordan Johnson with 42 seconds remaining in the first period. Garvey held a 2-0 lead after a takedown at the 1:05 mark before pinning the opposition.
"Caleb Garvey got another fall, that gives him four on the year and he has really been surprising me with the way he's been wrestling," Votano said. "[Garvey] hasn't wrestled in two years but he's looking sharp."
The Hubbers got on the board with a Luke Rittberg forfeit win at 152 pounds to cut the lead to 12-6.
At 160 pounds, Johnsonburg's Michael Kennedy scored an early takedown just 18 seconds into the match for a 2-0 lead and used offensive tactics en route to a win by fall with 41 seconds left in the first period. Kennedy's pin pushed the Rams' team lead to 18-6.
"Michael Kennedy got his second win of the year and he's been working hard in the mat room, and that's starting to have a reflection on how he's wrestling out there," Votano said.
Smethport's Garrett Hoy gave the Hubbers a boost at 170 pounds with a second period pin against Johnsonburg's Mitchell Schloder.
Hoy was up early after a takedown and scored three back points at the midway point of the first quarter for a 5-0 lead. Schloder was able to manage an escape before Hoy scored another takedown near the end of the first quarter for a 7-1 advantage.
Hoy came up with a reversal in the second period and caught Schloder for a fall with 1:19 remaining.
"[Schloder] had a pretty tough kid [Thursday night], he's been around for a while," Votano said. "Mitchell [Schloder] is improving, he just needs to pick up his intensity and wrestle a bit more physical out there, then I think his results will start to improve."
Johnsonburg's Maison Walters, a senior in his first season on the varsity wrestling team, earned his first win with a second period pin over Smethport's Quentin Evans.
Walters scored a takedown 21 seconds into the match but was hit with a 1-point penalty for a full nelson, but still had a 2-1 lead. Evans countered with a 1-point escape nine seconds later and mounted an attack with a takedown at the 1:07 mark and scored three back points 14 seconds later for a 7-2 advantage.
In the second period, Walters came to life with six back points in a 38-second span to retake the lead, 8-7; the two wrestlers traded 2-point reversals in a 5-second span to give Walters a 10-9 lead before he settled in for a pin with 25 seconds remaining.
"[Walters] comes in here every day and works hard, and his aggressiveness and physical style is there, now the technique is slowly starting to come together," Votano said. "We saw that [Thursday night] as he hit move after move, and that was a very nice win for him."
With a 24-12 Johnsonburg lead, the Hubbers answered right back at 195 pounds as Tyler Miketish scored a fall over Johnsonburg's Dylan DeLong at the 1:25 mark of the first period.
DeLong was down early after a takedown and was unable to recover before being pinned.
"This is [DeLong's] first official match of the year as he came out a little late but he certainly has the natural wrestling talent," Votano said. "He'll have to add technique to it but he's a strong kid. As the season goes on and his technique improves, I think he'll start pulling off some wins for us as well."
The win cut the Rams' lead to 24-18 before six straight forfeits gave the Hubbers a 54-24 lead. Forfeit wins for Smethport were Tyler Buchholz at 220 pounds, Shawn Prentiss at 285 pounds, Ryan Nielson at 106 pounds, Trent Neely at 113 pounds, Marcus Spittler at 120 pounds, and Justin Burgess at 126 pounds.
The Hubbers capped off the run by spoiling Alex Zimmerman's 6-0 start as Nate Schwab earned a fall in the second period.
Zimmerman went down early after a takedown and three back points. A late reversal put Zimmerman on the board but Schwab answered right back before the first period buzzer for an early 7-2 advantage. An early Zimmerman reversal put him within striking distance down 7-5 but Schwab had an answer a minute late before scoring a late fall with 22 seconds on the clock.
"Alex Zimmerman came up against probably Smethport's best wrestler, but he held on with him the whole match," Votano said. "[Zimmerman] made a mistake there and got caught on his back, that was his first loss of the year but he's one of the hardest workers on this team.
"I know he'll remind nicely and come back, and he'll improve because he's a hard worker who always wants to get better."
Despite the team loss, Votano said going into the holiday break that he is pleased with his corp of wrestlers thus far.
"It's hard to gauge where we'd be because we all weren't sure what to expect since we have a lot of new faces," Votano said. "Our coaching staff is pleased with the progression and we think it will continue to build. These guys come in and work hard every day, and I think as the season continues we're going to shock some teams.
"We probably aren't going to win a whole lot of dual matches as a team, but head-to-head with our opponents, I think we'll win some matches head-to-head."
Votano also tipped his hat to his dedicated coaching staff.
"I give a lot of credit to this coaching staff as we have a great bunch of coaches who are working hard, and that is reflecting onto our wrestlers," Votano said.
The coaching staff is comprised of Votano, assistant coach Beau Iorfido, Matt Penn, Bart Nelson, Eric Iorfido and Judd Zilcosky.
"Those guys have been a great help," Votano said.